Author's note: The following is a series of Jakotsu-centric challenge fics written from a list my dear friend and writing partner, Vega-chan, came up with for me. It's is based on Killa Kay's awesome collection of Gravitation short stories called "A to Z." (You can find them in my favorite stories section over at ff.net.) Due to the nature of the word given, they can either be what I call "canon timeline" which is set before their first deaths or AU which is set in modern times and will be set in the "world" I created in my story, "Homecoming."

"B" is for Bare

Jakotsu giggled as Bankotsu backed him up against the outer wall of the eastern side of the mansion. Earlier, the Shichinintai had taken possession of the mansion for the night and after making sure they were the only ones around, they had spent the evening celebrating by drinking the former daimyo's sake. Bankotsu had been talked into taking over said daimyo's rooms for the night and so that he would not feel lonely Jakotsu had volunteered to stay with him to keep him company. Since they were now away from the others, not to mention pleasantly drunk, Bankotsu pursued the cross-dresser with the same enthusiasm he would have had for any village girl.

Jakotsu giggled again as his leader ran his hand up his bare left thigh, his rough calloused palm tickling the cross-dresser as he went higher and higher. "Oo-Aniki..." he moaned softly as Bankotsu trailed a line of kisses down his neck to the hollow of his throat. "Let'sgoinside..." he said, breathlessly slurring his words together.

Bankotsu murmured something unintelligible into the tiny bit of bare skin at the base of the cross-dresser's throat that peeked out of his kimono. Pulling reluctantly away from Jakotsu, he grabbed the cross-dresser's hand and dragged him inside. "Wait..." he said as he searched the room for the daimyo's futon and bedding. After what seemed to take forever, Bankotsu found it. He quickly unrolled it, before leading Jakotsu over to it.

The cross-dresser sat back on his heels like a woman, on top of the futon. He closed his eyes, and licking his lips in anticipation of the fun he was about to have with Bankotsu, he was rather disappointed when his leader knelt behind him. He hated having him there as it reminded him of his days spent as a bathhouse whore. Many of his customers had preferred to take him that way as it helped preserve the illusion that he was a woman. When Bankotsu planted soft butterfly kisses on the back of his neck, he felt his worst fears confirmed.

The mood broken, at least for him, Jakotsu said softly, as he moved his hand up to block him, "Please, Oo-Aniki..."

"Hmmm...?" Bankotsu paused as the cross-dresser heaved a tiny sigh of relief.

"I don't like it when you do that..." the cross-dresser said softly.

"Why not?"

"Because..." Jakotsu trailed off, unable to bare his soul as Bankotsu pushed the lavender kimono off his shoulder, baring the pale flesh.

"Are you hurt?" Bankotsu asked, the concern he felt for the cross-dresser clearly heard in his voice.

"No..."

"Then what's wrong, Jakotsu?"

Jakotsu nibbled daintily on a fingernail as he struggled to find the words. The pleasant glow he had felt from the sake and the excitement of being with Bankotsu was rapidly fading along with the mood.

"Jakotsu...?"

"Ummm..."

Bankotsu scooted around to face him. "Jakotsu...? Are you sure you're not hurt?"

"Yeah..." The cross-dresser felt his eyes welling up with tears and he hastily rubbed under them.

"Don't cry...Jak..." Bankotsu said softly as he reached up to wipe away a stray tear.

The cross-dresser nodded as more tears spilled down his cheeks.

Bankotsu, sobering up in the face of his third-in-command's distress, pulled him close. As Jakotsu cried softly on his shoulder, Bankotsu gently rubbed circles on his back.

"I hate being kissed like that..." the cross-dresser said softly when he had calmed down enough to speak.

"Okay... Then I won't do it anymore if it bothers you."

"Thanks..." Jakotsu murmured into his leader's shoulder. "It's just that it reminds me too much of the bathhouse..."

A brief silence stretched between them as Jakotsu worked up the courage to bare his soul to his friend. Having a pet name for each other helped as he was beginning to think Bankotsu had similar feelings for him. And yet, he still had a few nagging doubts. Taking a deep breath, he opened up a bit more, by saying softly, "Anyway, I know I dress and act like a girl, but..."

"But you like being a boy."

"Yeah... and when I, ummm..."

"What?" Bankotsu gently prompted. He found it hard to believe the cross-dresser was opening up to him like this, laying his soul bare before him, and the intimacy of such an act both frightened and excited him.

"When I nookie, it's nice to know the person I'm nookying wants me to be a boy..."

"Oh..."

"Yeah... and I'm also afraid..." Jakotsu swallowed the lump that suddenly formed in his throat.

"Of what...?"

"Oh, nothing..."

Bankotsu sighed when the cross-dresser grew quiet. He was upset that Jakotsu had stopped baring his soul, as he was enjoying getting to know him better, so he took a deep breath and said, "I get scared too sometimes."

"Yeah...?"

"Yup. Scared that I can't do this and that one day everyone's going to wake up and decide they'd rather have a man lead them than a boy."

"But you're a great leader, Aniki-chan! I would follow you anywhere!"

"You would, Jakotsu?"

"Yup!" The cross-dresser's smile suddenly faded. "Aniki-chan...?"

"Yeah...?"

"I'm afraid too... Afraid, that if I fell in love with you, you'd leave me..." the cross-dresser said so softly Bankotsu was not sure he had heard him correctly.

"You're afraid of falling in love with me?"

"No, no, no..." Jakotsu pulled away from him and sat up. He reached out and cupped Bankotsu's cheek. "I'm afraid that if ..." the cross-dresser paused, the fear of completely baring his soul, making his heart beat wildly. When Bankotsu smiled, he found the courage to go on. "I'm afraid that if I fall in love with you, you won't like me any more and you'd leave me..." he said softly.

Bankotsu was stunned by that little revelation.

"You see?" Jakotsu said bitterly. "This was what I was afraid of..." He turned away as he started to cry again.

"No, that's not it... I ummm... I just didn't know what to say. I mean it's one thing for some stupid girl to say it, but another thing when your best friend tells you that. You know you're my best friend, right?"

"Yeah...?" Jakotsu said softly as he wiped away his tears.

"Yeah... I mean I kinda like you too..." Bankotsu said softly, baring his soul in the same way Jakotsu had just done. "You're really sweet and to tell the truth, much better fun than a girl. And you know more stuff too."

"Nah... You're not being stupid; you're being cute. And ummm... smart."

"Smart?" the crosser blinked in surprise.

"Yeah, my father once said the smartest thing you can do is find someone you can trust and really rely on. And you know you've found that person when you can open up to them and bare your soul to them."

"Oh... Then you're very smart too, Oo-Aniki! But then I always knew that," Jakotsu said with a smile.

"Okay... now that we both know we're smart..." They both laughed when Bankotsu said that. "Ummm... what do you want to do?"

"Ummm... kissing you sounds like fun to me..." Jakotsu said softly as he leaned towards his young leader.

"Yeah..." Bankotsu relied just as softly as he imagined Jakotsu sitting bare-naked in front of him and all the fun that would lead to.

Jakotsu kissed him, chastely at first and when Bankotsu deepened it, he responded in kind. They let their hands wander slowly as they took the time to savor the moment and enjoy the feel of a rough hand on smooth bare flesh. As they lay there, entwined in each other's arms, they came to the realization that this time was all the better for having laid their souls bare before hand...